Stride Entrepreneurship Leadership Program Launches Sept. 2022

Texas Partners Bank, Texas A&M University-San Antonio Partner to Offer Local Entrepreneurs Hands-On Business Training Free of Charge

The STRIDE program launches in the Fall of 2022 and a female entrepreneur’s STRIDE program launches Spring 2023

San Antonio, Texas—With the goal of impacting the Southside business community with real world education and practices, Texas Partners Bank proudly announces its partnership with Texas A&M University-San Antonio (A&M-SA) to launch the first of its kind, STRIDE Entrepreneurship Leadership program. The hands-on business training is free of charge. STRIDE stands for the six key pillars of a founder’s success: Strength, Tenacity, Resolve, Impact, Disruption, and Empowerment.

“STRIDE will bring more equity and capital access to entrepreneurs and will demystify the banking practices that can prohibit some business owners from much needed financial solutions for growth,” said Brandi Vitier, San Antonio Market Executive, Texas Partners Bank. “We are also increasing focus on our Express Business Lending program for small businesses.”

The program begins in September 2022 through A&M-SA’s Henry G. Cisneros Institute for Emerging Leaders. The business management curriculum will be co-taught by A&M-SA professors and banking experts from Texas Partners Bank. The course materials of entrepreneurial development will support small to medium business owners who want to develop their leadership, knowledge of available financial solutions, along with best practices for business growth.

“Texas A&M University-San Antonio is in the business of enriching our community. With a wonderful collaborative partner like The Bank of San Antonio, our ability to do that is amplified, our reach is extended and our potential for positive impact on the community is even greater,” says Dr. Cynthia Teniente-Matson, President, A&M-San Antonio. “Presenting the STRIDE Entrepreneurship Leadership program aligns with A&M-San Antonio’s commitment to creating transformative and equitable opportunities and educational experiences that enrich lives and the community.”

“STRIDE is a game changer for many businesses who strive to expand, but may not know where to turn,” said Angelica Palm, Senior Vice President, Marketing & Communication Director at Texas Partners Bank. “Entrepreneurs will learn  best practices from local business owners and professors. We will be there in class with them, providing connection to bankers, mentors, and other key industry leaders.”

The STRIDE program founders from left to right: Texas Partners Bank, San Antonio Market Executive Brandi Vitier, Texas Partners Bank Chief Human Resources Officer Patti Wilson, Texas Partners Bank Marketing & Communications Director Angelica Palm

In the Spring of 2023, Texas Partners Bank will introduce a curriculum focusing on female entrepreneurs. Both programs are receiving support from business owners and business organizations across the city including: the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Southside Chamber of Commerce, the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, SAGE and the BEAM Angel Network.

“Our talented professors are creating a curriculum for success, and we are proud to launch this program on the Southside,” says Dr. Mari Fuentes-Martin, VP of Student Success & Engagement, A&M-San Antonio. “The result of this program will help entrepreneurs find their stride through action, tools and resources.”

The STRIDE Program

Learn more about the no-cost program and submit an application. 

See Program Details

About Texas Partners Bank

The story began in 2007 when a small group of San Antonio’s business and civic leaders established The Bank of San Antonio to bring locally-focused banking services to the business community. The group founded Texas Hill Country Bank in 2009, followed by The Bank of Austin in 2017. Success was steady and strong, with clients demonstrating their confidence in our people, services and abilities by recommending us to friends, business associates and family members. Today, we build on that success with all locations serving clients as Texas Partners Bank.

Texas A&M University–San Antonio (A&M-SA) is a contemporary university reflective of the diverse and heritage-rich community it serves. Founded as the first upper-division institution of higher education in South San Antonio, A&M-SA today is a comprehensive four-year university offering affordable, high-quality education.

From May 2009, when the A&M-SA became a standalone university, to fall 2017, enrollment grew 340 percent. The University currently serves nearly 6,500 students and has graduated more than 8,000 alumni. The student body is 60 percent female and 72 percent Hispanic, and approximately 77 percent of students are the first in their family to attend college.